Tubular balloon



Patented Aug. 15, 1944 UIN-.WED STATES PATENT ofFFICE?v 1 TUBULARBALLOON Edgar C. Tuggle, Mosheim, Tenn.

Application August 14, 1942, Serial No. 454,823

2 Claims.

The object of my invention is the cheap production of a paperliketubular balloon to which can be secured a light cord having highexplosive charges attached at spaced intervals, and which is to be usedin great numbers around cities and other places as a defense againstenemy airplane attacks.

One form of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing inwhich Figure 1 is an elevation of the entire balloon with attached cordand explosives; Figure 2 indicates how longitudinal edges of arectangular piece of material are overlapped in the rst step to form thetubular balloon; Figure 3 shows front view of the balloon beforeination; Figure 4 shows a side vieW of the balloon before inflation;Figure 5 shows a vertical section of balloon taken along line A-B inFigure 3; and Figure 6 indicates a simple Way of securing to the lightcord a container of a high explosive.

The number I designates the balloon casing, which should be of apaperlike material that is Waterproof and strong. Cellophane would besuitable. To form the tubular balloon take a rectangular piece ofmaterial and, after overlapping its longitudinal edges as at number 2 inFig. 2, glue edges together their entire length. Flatten casing I out asin Fig. 3. Insert the valve 3 in position, with glue all around thatpart of the valve stem up in the bottom of the casing. Then at each endof the casing glue the edges together as indicated at 4 and 5 in Figure3. Last, take a piece of light, strong cloth, indicated by 6, and loopit around the bottom of the casing, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, andglue to the casing, leaving between the bottom of the casing and thecloth an opening 'I through which a light cord can be secured.

The valve 3 can be made of glass or of other suitable materials, andshould be in the form of a bent tube with the end outside the casinglarger in diameter, then the diameter of the stem up in the casing, asshown in Figure 5. The number I0 indicates the small opening in theupper end of the valve and the number I I the large opening in the lowerend. As the balloon rises into the rarefying air, the air pressureoutside the balloon become so much less than the gas pressure insidethat the balloon would burst if there was not a means for the escape ofthe excess gas. To hold the gas inside the balloon and to provide forthe escape of accumulating excess gas is what this valve is for.

The number 9 indicates kerosene or some other suitable liquid. Whenexcess pressure begins accumulating inside the balloon, the gas beginsforcing the kerosene 9 up into space II, the pressure continues toaccumulate, the excess gas bubbles up through the kerosene and escapesout into the air to relieve the excess pressure. If the pressure falls,the kerosene falls back into the neck of the valve. The dimension Gwould determine the amount of gas pressure that could accumulate beforethe gas Would begin escaping through the kerosene in space I I.

The number 8 designates a small cord. C-D- E-F designate containers ofhigh explosive which may be spaced apart feet or more along the cord.The high explosive should be sensitive enough to be jarred off When anypart of an airplane collides with the container.

This is the Way to operate the balloon:

With explosives attached to cord 8, secure cord to loop 6. Throughopening in valve 3 inflate casing I with gas. With the balloon uprightpour kerosene into space II until nearly ready to overoW. Then releaseballoon and let it rise.

The height to which the balloon would rise would be limited by the loadof explosives attached to the cord 8. For example, a balloon holding l5cubic feet of hydrogen gas has a gross lifting capacity of about 16ounces at sea level. If the balloon and cord Weigh 6 ounces, the balloonwould lift 9 ounces of explosives about 1/2 a mile above sea level. Theceiling for a 6- ounce load would be about 1% miles up, and the ceilingfor a 4-ounce load would be about 3 miles up, and so on. In this Wayballoons With explosives attached can be made to iioat around in the airat desired ceilings.

This is the Way to use these balloons to protect cities against airplaneraids:

Take Washington, D. C., for example. Assume air is calm. Here and therewithin the city and around on the outskirts feed up these balloonsloaded to float at desired ceilings, and let them float around. If theair is pretty calm they should float around in a close vicinity forhours. If there is a prevailing wind, these balloons would have to befed up into the prevailing wind so that they would drift over andblanket the city and outskirts. Since the containers of explosives wouldbe strung out on a light cord suspended for as much as 200 feet or morebeneath the balloon they would be hard to be seen and dodged by enemypilots. Fifty balloons to the cubic mile of air over a city for as highup as heaVY bombers can fly ought to give good protection. And Whilethese balloons could not be expected to stop every enemy plane, theyought to stop a large percentage, making an enemy attack very hazardous.

The cost of these paperlike balloons should be small; and so, eventhough used in very large numbers, these balloons used as a defenseagainst bombings should be relatively cheap to current means of defenseagainst bombings.

I claim:

1. A tubular balloon comprising a casing that is formed from arectangular piece of Waterproof and gas-tight paperlike material;including a cloth strap looped across one end of the balloon with thestrap ends secured to the balloon; and a small tube secured in the endof the balloon Where strap is, one end of said tube extending outside ofsaid casing.

2. A tubular balloon comprising the combination in claim 1, in whichthat part of the small tube extending outside of the casing is bent to aU-shape, the outer end of the tube being larger in diameter than thebent part or the part in the 10 casing.

